Fire box for oil-burning locomotives



R. J. HIMMELRIGHT FIRE BOX FDR OIL BURNINGLOCOMOTIVES May A 6 1924.

Filed July 5, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'ff Wd May 6 1924.

1,492,797 R. J. HIMMELRIGHT FIRE BOX FOR OIL BURNING'LOCOMOTIVES Filed July 5, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wfl/V555. f'

'1 ATTORNEYS.

` Patented May e, 1924.

UNITED STATE ICE.

RALEIGH J. HIMMELRIGI-IT, OF ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN ARCH COMPANY, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE.

FIRE :BOX FOR OIL-BURNING LOCOMOTIVES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALEIGH J. I-IIMMEL- RIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Boxes for Oil-Burning Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire boxes for oil burning locomotives, and it. has for its primary object the provision of an imf proved organization or combination of parts in a fire box tending to produce maximum efficiency with regard to the consumption of fuel, reduction in stack losses, and increase in evaporation or boiler eiiiciency by the maintenance of a hotter iame.

The foregoing, together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, I obtain by means of a construction which I have illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a locomotive fire box embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on' the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating a modification of my invention.

In locomotive practice, one of the most important' factors tending to produce inefficiencyl is the4 chilling effect of the inside sheets of the firebox andthe flues on the burning gases, the flame being more or less killed on coming into contact with such absorption surfaces, with the result that fuel values are lost through the stack and the eflieiency is lowered in otherfways. I pro pose to overcome the foregoing dificulty by providing the fire box with what may be termed a combustion chamber of refractory material, so constructed as not only to increase the length of flame travel, but also to create a central zone of combustion of great heat in which a maximum portion of the gas liberated is consumed, the sheets of the fire box being subject to the radiant effect of such zone. Thus instead of attempting to carry out combustion substantially uniformly throughout the re box, I propose, as it were, to concentrate combustion and to consume the major portion of the gases before the flames are subjected to the chilling effect of the absorption surfaces.

The fire box in connection with which I have illustrated my invention comprises the inside and outside throat sheets 7 and 8, the side sheets 9, the back sheet 10, the crown sheet 11, the outside side sheets 12, the outside back sheet 13, and the wrapper 14. The water legs are closed by the usual mud ring 15, and fines 16 extend forwardly of the Hue sheet 17. Circulation tubes 18 connect the front and rear water legs, extending rearwardly and upwardly from the inside throat sheet 7 `to the inside back sheet 10. f

The bottom of the fire box is closed by a sheet `metal pan 19 which is radially constructed so as to present a substantially continuously curving bottom extending from one side of the lire box to the other, such p an being preferably located below the mudring and secured thereto in the manner indicated in Figs. 3 and 1. 'Ihe bottom of this radial pan 19 .is lined with firebricks 20, and thus presents a curved radiating surface 21, the center of which is substantially at the center of the fire box. At the front of the pan, adjacent the throat sheet 7, is a refractory flash wall 22 which preferably extends well above the level of the mud ring toward the forward end of the circulation tubes. The backv of the pan is provided with a refractory wall 23, provided with an opening 24 for the introduction of the forward-directed oil burner 25 which may be of any preferred construction. Located above the rear wall 23 and extending rearwardly to the rear water legs is a floor 26,v and extending forwardly of the wall 23 is a primary arch 27, also composed of refractory material, and curved as indicated in Fig. 3.

A refractory arch 28 extends from a point adjacent the inside throat sheet, a portion of the distance rearward in the lire box, such arch being constructed of arch bricks adapted to be supported on the circulation tubes and insideside sheets as shown in Fig. 2, the arch in general inclining rearwardly and upwardly from a point adjacent the flash wall 22 well above the lowermost lues.

The refractory parts hereinbefore described constitute or define, in elfect, a spacious refractory combustion chamber, t'he bottom of which ris rounded so as to radiate upwardly toward the center of the ire box; the front wall of which radiates back toward the rear; and the top wall of which radiates ico downwardly and toward the rear, such top wall preferably terminating in advance of the primary arch 27. The rear wall 23 radiates forwardly; the floor 26 radiates upwardly; and the primary arch 27 radiates upwardly, downwardly and forwardly. By the radiating effects thus obtained, the central part of the fire box is made a zone of intense heat in which a maximum degree of combustion takes place, and the oil which is introduced by the. bach end burner (and travels first forwardly through the combustion chamber and then rearwardly), is more completely' consumed therein than would otherwise be the case, as well as the gases liberated during combustion. It will be noted that the inside side sheets, the inside back sheet, and a portion of the crown sheet are subject to the heat radiating from such localized or central zone of heat and to the flames of such of the gases as are not completely consumed in such zone, the volume of which, however, as before pointed out, is considerably less than is the case where it is attempted to carry out combustion more or less uniformly throughout the. fire box. The gases are returned from adjacent the throat sheet 7 rearward to the back wall 10 before directly encountering the heat-absorption surfaces of the fire bom-making their exit over the arch 28,--though the lateral heatabsorption surfaces of the combustion cham` ber 9 formed by the exposed sides of the fire box are heated, of course, by radiation and conduction from the Zone of intense combustion in its midst. Since the quantities of unconsumed gases passing forwardly over the rear end of the arch is less, it will be seen that greater opportunity is provided for the complete combustion thereof above the arch 28. It will be seen from the foregoing that the stack losses of unconsumed fuel are cut down and that efficiency in other respects is obtained.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4f I have dispensed with the primary arch 27, but still retain the back end burner which insures a long fiame travel through the most intense' zone of heat. The advantages ofmy improvements will be understood by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. In an oil burning locomotive, the combination with a fire box, of a radial refracv tory pan in the bottom of the fire box and substantially coextensive therewith, a flash wall at the forward end of said pan, a back end burner for said pan directing its flame forward against said flash wall, and a refractory arch extending from adjacent the forward end of the fire box a portion of the distance rearward in the fire box. i

2. In an oil burning locomotive, the combination with a fire box, of a radial pan closing the bottom of the fire box, said pan being located approximately below the mud ring of the fire box and continuously curving from one side of the mud ring to the other side thereof, the center of curvature being substantially the center of the fire box, said pan being lined with refractory material, circulation tubes extending rearwardly and upwardly and connecting the front water leg of the fire box with another water space thereof, and a refractory arch carried on said tubes and extending from a point adjacent the front water leg a portion of the distance rearward in the fire box.

3. An oil burning locomotive fire box comprising a spacious refractory combustion chamber defined by a radial refractory fire box bottom or pan, a refractory flashwall lat its forward end adjacent the throat sheet,

and a refractory arch extending from adjacent the throat sheet rearward and upward well above the lowermost iues, with lateral heat absorption surfaces formed by the exposed sides of the fire box, together with a back end burner directed forward toward said flashwall, so as tov cause the burning gases to be returned from adjacent the throat to the back wall before directly encounteringV the heat-absorption `surfaces of the fire box and making their exit over said arch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. l

RALEIGH J. Hnvnvinnxienr. 

